Fr. Lombardi: Holy See welcomes Yibin ordination

The Vatican has welcomed Wednesday's Episcopal ordination in China, which it says took place with Papal approval. However it has also expressed dismay over the participation in the ceremony of a prelate not in communion with the Holy See.


In comments expressed Wednesday evening, Vatican Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi said that the “Holy See welcomes” the ordination of Mgr Peter Luo Xuegang as coadjutor bishop of Yibin diocese in south-western Sichuan province. The Diocese of Yibin has two bishops, seven priests and about 30,000 Catholics. Mgr Luo, 47, is the third bishop ordained with papal approval. However in June and July, two ordinations were performed without papal mandate.


Fr Lombardi said : “After the recent Episcopal ordinations without papal mandate, the fact of having a new bishop in communion with the Pope and all the Catholic bishops of the world is certainly positive. It will be appreciated not only by the Chinese bishops and faithful, but also by the universal Church”.

However, Wednesday’s ceremony was also attended by the excommunicated Bishop Paul Lei Shiyin against the expressed wish of the Holy See. Lei was ordained as bishop of neighbouring Leshan (Sichuan), last June 29, without Papal mandate. A statement released by the Vatican shortly after his ordination said he "has no authority to govern the Catholic diocesan community", that the Holy See "does not recognize" him.

On Wednesday Fr. Lombardi said that Lei’s participation at the ceremony “gives rise to disagreement and confusion among the faithful, the more so because it appears that he took part as consecrating Bishop and concelebrated the Eucharist. His inveterate disobedience to the rules of the Church unfortunately aggravates his canonical position".

"In ordinary situations – concluded Fr. Lombardi - the presence of the Bishop Lei Shiyin should have been entirely excluded, and would entail canonical consequences for the other participating bishops”. The Vatican spokesman pointed out however, that “in this circumstance it is likely that they were unable to prevent it without great inconvenience. In any case, the Holy See will be able to better assess the question when it has received more extensive and in-depth information. "